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How collectors are seeking out Indian miniatures

Once buried in manuscripts, Indian miniatures are now much sought after by collectors the world over

A modern version of Pichwai created by Pooja Singhal
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A modern version of Pichwai created by Pooja Singhal

Ritika Kochhar
Shah Nawaz Khan, a historian who accompanied Nadir Shah of Afghanistan during the raid on Delhi in 1739, wrote that “among the loot that Nadir Shah took from the Red Fort were the twelve volumes of Akbar’s Hamzanama” or Daastan-i-Amir Hamza, the exquisite 1,400-page retelling of the legendary exploits of Amir Hamza. Mohammad Shah, the emperor of India, sent an emissary after Nadir Shah to say, “Take anything but the Hamzanama.” And Nadir Shah is reported to have replied, “Ask for anything but the Hamzanama.”

Since Nadir Shah had also made off with the Peacock Throne and the treasury, including the